Practical
Plants

Calystegia subvolubilis

a perennial woody member of the Calystegia genus in the family Convolvulaceae.

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Taxonomy and growth

Life cycle
perennial
Woodiness
woody
Height
3 m
Fertility
Bees, Lepidoptera
Flower type
hermaphrodite
Pollinators
Bees, Lepidoptera

Uses

Toxicity

Toxicity warning. The historical record reports a hazard for this plant. Do not use it to decide which parts are safe to eat or use medicinally.

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Although no reports of toxicity have been seen for this species, at least some, if not all members of this genus are purgative[4], some caution is advised.

Edible uses

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Root - cooked[2]. Some caution is advised, see the notes above on toxicity. Young shoots - cooked[2]. Some caution is advised, see the notes above on toxicity.

Plant part
Leaves
Plant part
Root

Ecology and functions

Ecosystem niche
Climber

Environment

Range
E. Asia - Japan.
Habitat
A hybrid, C. pellita x C. sepium, it is not known in a truly wild situation.
Light
full sun
Shade tolerance
no shade
Water
moderate
Hardiness
Zone 4+
Soil textures
sandy, loamy, clay
Soil pH
acid, neutral, alkaline
Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil
No
Drought
intolerant

Propagation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Seed - sow spring in a cold frame in a free draining compost and only just cover. The seed usually germinates in 1 - 3 months at 15°c[3]. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in a cold frame for at least their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts. Division in early spring whilst dormant[5].

Cultivation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Easily grown in ordinary garden soil in a sunny position, but plants are apt to become invasive[1][5]. Nearly all taxa in Calystegia intergrade geographically into neighboring taxa with the exception of the widespread coastal species, C. soldanella (Linnaeus) R. Brown. It is impossible to draw clearly defined specific limits, and intermediate forms are always found where two taxa approximate geographically[6].

References

  1. F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951-00-00

    ↩

  2. Tanaka. T. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World. Keigaku Publishing 1976-00-00

    ↩1↩2

  3. Bird. R. (Editor) Growing from Seed. Volume 3. Thompson and Morgan. 1989-00-00

    ↩

  4. Crowe. A. Native Edible Plants of New Zealand. Hodder and Stoughton 1990-00-00 ISBN 0-340-508302

    ↩

  5. Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992-00-00 ISBN 0-333-47494-5

    ↩1↩2

  6. Flora of China 1994-00-00 http://flora.huh.harvard.edu/china/

    ↩

  7. Komarov. V. L. Flora of the USSR. Israel Program for Scientific Translation 1968-00-00

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